Type bar restraining mechanism for accounting machines



May 19, 1953 w. A. ANDERSON TYPE BAR RESTRAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed July 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. WALTER A. ANDERSON QMWW May 19, 1953 w. A. ANDERSON ,5

TYPE BAR RESTRAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Filed July 25, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 52/ INVENTOR. WAL TER A. ANDERSON ATTORNEY Patented May 19, 1953 TYPE BARBESTRAINING MECHANISM FOR ACCOUNTING MACHINES Walter A, AndersomTrumbull, 001111., assignor to Underwood Corporation, New York, N, Y, a corporation of Delaware Application- J uly 2J5, 1951, Serial No. 238,416

3 Claims.

This invention relates to computing and printin: machines, and more particularly to a mechanism therefor for controlling the extent of movement the type bars provided therein during totaling operations of the machine.

Prior machines of the character described usually include devices for supporting a work sheet and a plurality of type bars carrying type for printing amounts on said work sheet. The type bars are mounted for engagement by at least one totalizer for adding, subtracting and totaling amounts, are spring actuated to printing positions, and are restored by means of a common operator. During totaling operation of themachine, the totalizers are disengaged from the type bars immediately following the printing of the total to enable the type bars tobe restored to their normal position while the totalizer wheels remain at zero. With the disengagement of the totalizers, the type bars, being spring actuated, are no longer restrained and may jump from the total printing positions to the farthest position allowable from their home position, where they will be stopped by abutting a common stop or by striking the restoring common operator. The shock or jar incident to such stopping of the type bars may be suflicient to disrupt. the transfer devices associated with the totalizers, and with resultant inaccurate computations and with undesirable wearand injury to the parts.

Accordingly, one object of the present invention is to provide a-meohanism whereby the type bars are held in their total printing positions after the release thereof by the totalizers until the type bars are acted upon and restored to their home positions-differentially by the common operator.

It is also an important object of the present invention to provide a mechanism such as described above that is inoperative during adding and subtracting cycles of the machine, and is released to an operativecondition -and restored to its normally inoperative condition by the ma-= chine cycling-means only during a total printing cycling of the machine.

' An: object ancillary to the preceding objects is to provide atype'bar'movem'ent controlling mechanism that is a unitary assembly simpl in construction, which is'readily' attachable and detachable without disturbing associatedparts, and is fast and dependable in operation.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention. consists in: certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, the important elements 01 which are set forthin. ap-

claims, and a preferred;- embodiment of which is hereinafter described with. reference to: the drawings which accompany and form part of the specification. r v i In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a right hand side View of amachme. embodying the present invention showing the parts in normal position,

Figure 2 is a perspectiveview-showing the type bar retaining device in normal position,

Figure 3 is a right hand sideview showing the parts in the position theyoccupy whenv the-total lrey sv depressed and the machine is at half cycle,

Figure 4 is asection'alv viewsimilarto Figure 3 showing the parts released to operative relation with the type bars by the machine cycling means as it traversesthe return stroke of'the machine cycle,

Figure 5 is a detail. perspective view of certain of the parts of Figure 2.

The invention is exemplified herein in connection, with an accounting machin similarrto" the, one disclosed in Patent No. 1,946,505; moses: J. Sundstrand, dated February 13,. L934, to which patent and machine reference-may .be had for an understanding oi features of construction, and. the mode of operation thereof, that are not fullydescribed or illustrated herein.

Referring. toFigure It of the drawings. awork sheet is supported on a platen Ill rotatably mounted in a. traveling paper carriage (not shown). Type'bars ll carrying typelz are sup ported for verticalslidable movement. on a bar l3 rigid in. the machine, frame (not shown). Type bars I I normally are held in their lowered positionby. means of a common. operator l5 acting upon type. bar lifts It pivoted in the machine frame, and are raised to positiomthetype11 101- printing on a work sheet by means of springs acting upon type bar liftslB inthe manner disclosed'in the above patent. Each. ,-of thetyp bars ll carries racks l1 and Ila-for engagement by totalizers I8- and/or [9 for adding, subtracting, and totaling amountsv in th manner. dis.- closedin the patent.

The machine includes a main shaft 20 which is connected, with a suitable motor, not shown, and, during, a machine cycle is rocked first counterclockwise to constitute the forward stroke of the machine cycle, andv then returned to its normal position as shown in Figure l to consti. tute' the: return. stroke of the cycle. During the forward stroke: of. a total taking machine cycle, the: common operator is is rocked upwardly and away: from the type .bar lifts lsfigsenabling the actnafing; springs (not-shown to: rock the; type bar 1ifts I6 upwardly and, by means of a pin 2| engaging in a slot I4 of type bar I to raise the type bars to the total position. Also, during the forward stroke of the machine cycle, the totalizer I8 or I9 remains engaged with racks I1 or I'Ia, so that as the type bars rise, the totalizer wheels are rotated until one or the other of two lugs provided on each adding wheel abuts transfer devices (not shown) to position type [2 in printing position. Early in the return stroke of the machine cycle, a type aligner 23 is engaged with teeth 24 provided in each type bar II to align type I2 in printing position. Hammer trips 25 are then acted upon in the conventional manner to release hammers 26 to strike and imprint type I2 on the work sheet.

Immediately following printing, restoration ofhammers 26 is started, and disengagement of the type aligner 23 and teeth 24 in type bars -II is effected. Before the common operator I5 has restored sufficiently to contact the type bar lift I6 occupying the farthest position from home position, totalizer I8 or I9 is disengagedfrom racks [1 or Ila, leaving each type bar II free to jump upwardly until the associatedtype bar lift it meetsand strikes the common operator I5 with a resultant undesirable shock.

The present invention provides means for preventing such undesirable jumping of type bars II. Such preventing mechanism includes a pair of plates 28 each secured to one of the side plates 29 supporting totalizers I8 and I9, said plates 28 being rigidly connected. by a shaft 3 Pivoted on another shaft 32 also rigid in plates 23 is a cradle 34, shaft 32 also having pivoted thereon a plurality of pawls 35, one for each type bar II,

the printing of the total.

4 usually effected by the depression of total key 59 before cycling the machine. It can, however, be readily seen that the engagement of pawls 35 with the teeth in plates 40 should not be effected until after type bars II have become located in their total printing positions as controlled by totalizer I8 or I9. The present invention provides means whereby the machine may be conditioned for totaling by depression of key 59,

while pawls 35 are restrained from engaging with the teeth of plates 40 until immediately prior to To restrain pawls 35, a pawl 1| and stop 13 are pivoted on a stud 14 rigid in an upwardly extending arm 16 forming and normally tensioned by means of springs 31 connected between pawls 35 and shaft 3| to bear against a shaft 38 rigid in cradle 34. Secured to the lower end of each type bar II is a plate it provided with teeth for engagement by pawls 35. During a normal adding or subtracting operation of the machine, pawls 35 should be held in the normal position where they are clear of the teeth inthe plates 49. For this purpose, a latching lever 43 is pivoted on a stud 44 securing plate 23 to plate 29 and is provided with a shoulder 46 normally held to the rear of a square stud 41 fixed in cradlex34. -A lever 49, Figure 1, is yieldably connected by means of a spring 58 to latch lever 43, lever 49 being fixed on the standard total signal control lever 52 of the machine and pivoted therewith on a shaft 53 fixed in the machine frame. The forward end of lever 52 lies under an ear 56 forming part of a plate 53 fixed on the total key 59. The total key 59 is mounted for vertical slidablemovement in a keyboard frame 6| and is tensioned to a normally raised position by means of a spring 82. With total key 59 in its normally raised position, Figure 1, lever 49 is free to press downwardly on the forward end of latching lever 43, to hold shoulder 46 in position to engage the square stud '31.

Cradle 34 is returned to the Figure 1 position in which lever 43 may drop its shoulder behind stud '41 at the end of each machine cycle. For such purpose, a bracket 65 having an upstanding leg 61 isfixed on the cradle 34. Fixed on the main shaft 29 is aplate 69 carrying a pin 19 which at the completion of the return stroke of the machine cycle, strikes leg 61 and rocks cradle 34-about pivot 32 to, retract pawls 35 clear of plates 49 on type bars II, by means of shaft 38 and to shift stud 41 in front of shoulder 46.

-1- Conditioning .of i'the'machine'for totaling is partof bracket 65 and including a spring supporting car 11. Stop 13 also is provided with a spring supporting ear 19 and, with stop 13 pivoted on stud 14, a spring stretched between ears 11 and 19 normally tensions ear 19 to rest against the rear edge of the upwardly extending arm 16. Stop 13 is provided witha second spring supporting car 83 extending therefrom-in the opposite direction'to that of ear 19. Pawl 1| is similarly provided with a spring supporting car 85, see Figure 5, and a spring 86 stretched between ears 83 and tensions pawl 1| to normally rest with its rear edge against ear 83 of stop 13,

A short stud 9! in plate 68 during the forward machine cycle passes idly-by pawl 1| but rocks pawl 1| and stop 13 at the start of the return half of the machine cycle to shift stop 13 above a stop 39 fixed in the frame, as shown in Figure 4, to release the pawls 35 for engagement with racks 49.

Summary Upon depression of total key 59 prior to a machine cycle, lever 49 is rocked counterclockwise to raise shoulder 46 of lever 43 above stud 41-. Until the beginning of the following machine cycle, however, cradle 34 and pawls 35 are held in their normal position by the engagement of pin 19 with leg 61 of bracket 65. During the forward stroke of the machine cycle pin 19 leaves leg 61, enabling springs 31 to rock pawls 35 and cradle 34 about shaft 32 toward plates 49 on type bars II Stop 13 engages with fixed stop 89 during the movement andpawls 35 are arrested in a position just clear of the teeth in plates 40, to enable the free and easy movement of type bars I I to total printing positions.

During the remaining part of the forward stroke, pin 9| which is shorter than pin 10 but at a greater radius from shaft 29 strikes the lower edge of pawl 1|, pivoting the pawl 1| about stud I i and stretching spring 86 to enable passage of pin 9| past pawl I I.

Upon the start of the return stroke of the machine cycle, the type aligner 23 is moved into engagement with teeth 24 in type bars II to align type I2 and shortly thereafter hammers 26 are released by releases 25 to strike and print from type I2; Substantially at the same-time pin 9|, acts upon the top edge of pawl II to pivot the pawl 1| and stop 13 about stud 14, stretch spring 89, and lift stop 13 above the fixed stop 89, enabling-springs 31 to further rock cradle 34 and move pawls 35 into engagement with the teeth in plates 49 as shown in Figure 6.

During the next portion of the return stroke, hammers 26 are restored, type aligner 23 is'moved from engagement with teeth 24' in type bar II, and totalizer I8 or I9 is moved from engagement with racks I1 or IIa, leaving type bars II completely under the control'of pawls 35, which pre-e vent movement of the type bars beyond their total printing positions. As type bars H are restored to their normally lowered position by means of the common operator 15, the pawls 35 ratchet over the teeth in plates 40. Also, during the return stroke, the total key 59 is released to its normally raised position, leaving latching lever 43 resting on the top surface of square stud 41, and in condition for reengagement of its shoulder 46 in back of the square stud 4! holding pawls 35 clear of the teeth in plates 40. The engagement of pin '10 and leg 67 at the completion of the machine cycle in the manner hereinbefore described restores cradle 34 to its Figure 1 position and retains it there.

The above description is of a preferred embodiment only of my invention and is not to be taken in a limiting sense since many variations are possible without departure from the features of the invention, all coming within the scope of the following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described having a power means, a plurality of actuators resiliently advanceable from and power restored to a home position, and a register engageable with said actuators to differentially limit movement of said actuators from home position and disengageable from said actuators to permit their power return, the combination of means to prevent advancing movement of said actuators upon disengagement of said register therefrom, said means including actuator engaging detents, and a member common to said detents to hold them from engagement with said actuators, a first latch to hold said preventing means in an ineffective position, a function control member operable to release said latch, a second latch to hold said preventing means inefiective when said first latch is released,

a cyclically operated releasing mechanism for said second latch and a connection from said power means to said member and said detents common to said detents to restore said member to and hold them in the disengaged position at the end of a machine cycle.

2. In a machine of the class described having a cyclically operable power means, a register, a plurality of actuators with which said register is engageable to control the extent of advance movement of said actuators and a function control key to control engagement of said register with said actuators, the combination of notched stop member on said actuators, detents yieldingly urged into engagement with said stop members to prevent advance movement of said actuators, a common member to restrain said detents in a nonengaging position, a latch on said common member, a linkage operable by said function control key to release said latch upon depression of said key, a restoring means operated by said cyclic power means to restore said common member and said detents to a home position and to free said common member and said detents for movement to an effective position at the start of each machine cycle, a second latch to restrain said common member when released by said first latch and cyclically operated releasing means for said second latch.

3. In an accounting machine of the class described having a cyclically operating power means, a plurality of type bearing bars, a power operated restoring bar to free said type bars for resilient advance from and to restore said type bars to a home position, a register engageable with said type bars to limit their free movement from home position and disengageable therefrom prior to the beginning of restoration of said type bars, leaving said bars free to make a further advance movement, a stop member connected to each type bar, a detent urged into engagement with each said stop member to prevent movement of said type bar from home position, the combi-- nation of a member common to said detents to restrain them from movement into engagement with said stop members, an arm connected to said power means to free said common member during a machine cycle, a latch for said common member to arrest said common member when freed by said arm, a function control member, means operated by said member upon operation thereof to release said latch, a second latch to arrest said common member prior to engagement of said detents with said stop members, and means on said arm to release said second latch after arrest of said type bars under control of said register and prior to the disengagement of said register from said type bars.

WALTER A. ANDERSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,705,982 Lasker Mar. 19, 1929 2,052,905 Sturm Sept. 1, 1936 2,181,975 Lee Dec. 5, 1939 

